From learning to deal with hypothyroidism to turning into a health coach, 30-year-old Pratishtha Rawat has come a long way. Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone, which can disrupt body temperature, metabolism and heart rate. Rawat, now a certified health coach from New York’s Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), has been helping scores of people to live a healthy, disease-free life through her blog, Glow Glossary that she started early this year.
“My overarching ambition is to reduce the risk of future health crises by helping people adopt nourishing lifestyles,” Rawat reveals. On Glow Glossary, she promotes natural health remedies and her own experiences and knowledge from world’s leading professionals on wellness and beauty. She also translates scientific facts into feasible practices to help people grapple with challenges in their wellness journey, guiding them as an empathetic friend at each stage.
“During my journey to achieving good health, I tried everything, from crazy diets to beauty trends. What I learnt through it all is we are what we eat,” she says, adding that diets may help you shed a few pounds but are not a long-term panacea for chronic illness or weight management. Rawat was diagnosed with hypothyroidism when she had turned 21. She was devastated but at the same time resolved to ‘turn things around’. Rawat first learnt naturopathy and yoga from Jindal Naturecure Institute, Bengaluru, and then took the certificate course at IIN to become a health coach.
“I refused medical treatment because I was confident that natural remedies were the more healthful route. I designed my own road to recovery that comprised pranayama and a healthy lifestyle, which helped me reboot my immunity and address the root cause of the illness,” she says, adding, “But I knew that just a few pranayamas or adaptogens won’t suffice. A sustainable, healthy lifestyle is the key to ‘maintaining’ thyroid health. We must understand that robust health is a product of daily discipline. There is a lot of inaccurate, misleading information online. One must not believe anything blindly. Verify everything cautiously,” she adds.
What is the right diet?
“There is no silver bullet. Consistency is the key to wellness. It is not surprising that the world is beginning to understand the significance of clean whole foods. Food must be relished and celebrated. I wish to instil this attitude in people,” she says.
Rawat is now developing organic protein and fibre supplements; all “unadulterated health boosters”. “I intend to create a wellness bootcamp for everyone, regardless of their fitness levels,” she says, adding that celebrities can play a pivotal role in improving public health.
“Public figures who advocate health supplements must be mindful of the practices and products they endorse as they have a huge impact on the psyche of the masses,” she warns.